Phil Hellmuth (The Poker Brat)

A true legend of world poker, Phil Hellmuth Jr. stands out for his staggering record of achievements, one of the most impressive in history, as well as for his explosive, indiscreet and controversial personality, controversial personality.

Phil Hellmuth Junior was born in Madison, Wisconsin, on 16 July 1964. The eldest child in a family of five, he regularly played card games with those close to him, particularly his grandmother Agnes Slattery. While beginning his graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Phil Hellmuth began to earn enough money from poker and gave up his studies to devote himself fully to his favourite game.

After several unsuccessful attempts in Las Vegas, Phil Helmuth reached his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) final table at age 23, in a $1,500 Seven Stud event. That same year, 1988, he won the 4th edition of the "Diamond Jim Brady" in Los Angeles, for $125,000, and finished 2nd in a Side Event for $72,000, which enabled him to take his bankroll off the ground.

The following year would be one of revelation. After another PLO final table, Phil Hellmuth won the 20th WSOP Main Event for $755,000 at the age of 24. He became the youngest winner of this prestigious tournament. The record was only beaten by Peter Eastgate in 2008. A first record, which would be followed by many more.

The quest for WSOP bracelets

This was indeed the beginning of his incredible collection of WSOP bracelets. In 1993, he completed a fabulous treble, across three Hold'Em tournaments (as well as a runner-up finish in Deuce to Seven) for total winnings of more than half a million dollars. In 2001, he reached five more final tables, including a new title, then rolled over the festival again in 2003, with two wins, including a juicy one in the $3,000 NLHE, where he cashed for $410,000.

The idyll with poker's biggest festival continued throughout the 2000s. In 2006, he joined Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan in the WSOP pantheon with 10 wins, then overtook the two men the very next year by winning the $1,500 NLHE for $637,254. The harvest continued into 2018: by winning the $5,000 NLHE, Phil Hellmuth Jr. took his total number of bracelets to 15! He also holds the record for ITMs and runner-up finishes in WSOP history.

The Poker Brat

Phil Hellmuth also stands out for his unique character. The expressive type, Phil Hellmuth lets his joy explode when he wins but also his rage and resentment in the more difficult moments. Numerous video sequences show the famous "tilts" of the man nicknamed the "Poker Brat". As the years have gone by, Phil Hellmuth has managed to burnish his image, with a more proper attitude and becoming an ambassador for world poker.

World poker figure

His countless successes make Phil Hellmuth one of the greatest players in history. Inducted into the Poker Hall Of Fame in 2007, the American has also played a major role in the media coverage of poker. He has written several books on the game, including the best-selling "Plau Poker Like The Pro's", dedicated to his grandmother, with whom he loved to play. A regular contributor to Card Player Magazine, Phil Hellmuth also appears on numerous televised shows, including High Stakes Poker, Poker After Dark, and most recently, Poker Go High Stakes Duel, where he competes, with great success, against the world's greatest Heads-up players.

With more than $24 million in winnings accumulated on the circuit, Phil Hellmuth is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in the world, but also a poker icon, still present in the upper echelons of the game after a 25-year career.